Academy Sports + Outdoors

I went to Academy in Waco to get my Son some Ariat Rebar Composite Toe Workboots. Online showed the Waco store did have some in the size I needed. Just to be sure, since it is a good 30 mile from Gatesville, I DID CALL TO VERIFY B4 I LEFT. I don't think anyone actually had their eyes on what I had asked about. He was trusting his handheld device. Got there and did find one pair finally! My Son loves the lace-up workboots. They were quite pricey and we will definitely see how well they hold up. My Son can put some wear&tear on shoes no doubt.

I’m frustrated enough by this experience that I won’t be shopping at Academy again, not because of the product, but because of the in-store pickup policy. I paid in full for a set of dumbbells online and sent my husband to pick them up. He had the confirmation email, order details, and everything needed to verify the purchase. Despite that, he was turned away and told that I personally had to come to the store with a photo ID to retrieve the order. This requirement makes little sense for non-restricted items and does not meaningfully protect against theft. There are far more reasonable verification methods available (confirmation numbers, QR codes, email verification), all of which other retailers already use successfully. Instead, this policy places unnecessary burden on paying customers, wastes time, and disrupts plans, in my case, eliminating the only window of personal time I had that day. I understand employees are just enforcing policy, but this policy itself is poorly designed and customer-hostile. Because of it, I won’t be doing business with Academy again.